Means for securing screens to radiators



J 1932- s. F. HUGHES MEANS FOR SECURING SCREENS To RADIATORS Filed Jan. 24. 1951 fall:

lNVENTOR George ff/vayh eat ATTOR EYS.

' tor shell with a screen enga which shall fit between the :iiis

Patented Jan. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcn GEORGE F. HUGHES, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN ASSIGNOR TO HEBRON-ZIMMERS IOU'LD- ING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF IIJLINOIS l MEANS FOR SECURING SCREENS 'I'O RADIATOBS Application filed January 24, 1931. Serial 110. 511,077.

My invention relates to radiator guards and particularly to means for securing a guard or screen grille to a radiator.

When a screen grille or guard was to be attached to an automobile radiator or its enclosing shell, considerable diificulty was experienced in retaining the guard in fixed position relative to the radiator without harming the radiator cells or destroying the finish on its shell.

In practicing my invention I overcome the above difficulties by providing an anchor nut with an overlap flange which engages the underside of the edge of the inwardly disposed portion of the shell to constitute a support into which a guard retaining screw is secured. A plurality of these screws and anchor nuts are provided at predetermined points about the periphery of the guard for drawing it tightly against the radiator shell as the screws are forced into-the anchor nuts. Blocks of rubber or like material are secured along the inner periphery of the guard for abutting against the front surface of the shell and preventing the marring of its finish. Projections are provided on the bottom blocks for engaging the inner portion of the radiator shell, for supporting the weight of the guard and preventing its downward movement. .1

Accordingly, one object of my invention is to provide a plurality of anchor bolts, for a guard of a radiator shell, with projections which shall engage the inner edge of the shell and firmly retain the guard against the front face thereof without requiring the shell to be drilled or distorted.

Another object of invention is to prom *"vide an anchor bolt 0; the above described type, for a guard or screen grille of a radiamember of the screen and shall be substantially invis to provide the inner periphery of a guard for from the front of the guard.

A still further object of my invention is a radiator shell having anchoring means for drawing the guard tightly thereagainst, with rubber blocks, the bottom ones of which have projections which rest upon the inner surface of the radiator shell for supporting the guard against downward movement.

A still further object of my invention is to provide retaining means for a screen grille or guard of the above mentioned type which shall be universal in a plication easily attachable and economics. of manufacture.

Numerous other objects or features of novelty of my invention will be either specifi-' cally pointed out, or will become apparent, when referring for a better understanding of my invention, to the following description in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of a radiator guard embodying features of my invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective View of the anchoring means employed with the guard shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an enlar ed sectional 'view of the structure shown in igure 1 taken along the line 33 thereof,

Figure 4 is an enlar ed sectional view of guard or screen grille 10 which includes a metal screen 11 which is cut to conform to the shape of the radiator shell and which is provided along its outer edge with a metal binding or frame 12. The guard, thus provided, is firmly retained on ashell 8 of a radiator 9 by clamping members 13 and projecting members 19, which will now bedescribed in detail. 1

In Figure 2 I have shown an enlarged view of the clamping members -13 which comprise a nut 14, a screw 15 and a screen engaging member 16. The nut 14 includes a threaded shank portion 17 and an overlap flange portion 18' which is bent backwardly to constitute a projection which engages the under surface-of the inner portion of the radiator shell, as shown in Figure 4. The nutll is preferably formed from a sheet of metal which is bent around a die in such manner as to have the thread thereon stamped into the substantially square body portion 20W'hic'h fits downwardly bSlZW'QQI). the wires OiiLthei' screen and which is providedon two, of its:--

opposite ends with upturned flanges which are bent outwardly and backward-1y to con-" stitute inwardly presentin channels which engage adjacent elements 6 base portion20 isprovidedwith a central hole 22 which is drawn outwardlyv to efiect a;

recess for receiving the head'of the screw 15. The'hole 22 and the recess 23ers more clearly 1*, shown in' the sectional view'of Figure 5. In

this construction the screw. head extends below the surface of the screen and as the screen is engaged only at an adjacentpair of wires, the head and the screen-engaging element are substantiallyinvisible from the front of the. screen.

I. provide a plurality or rubber blocks 24 on the inner periphery of the frame 12 to revent the mar-ring of the'finish on the sur ace of the radiator shell 8 when the frame is held thereagainst'by the anchor members, 13.. The blocks are attached to the frame in such in: ner that the ends thereof .extend beyon a flange 27 on the frame and thereby retain the metal portions of the guard from contacting with theshell. Any suitable means may be employed for attaching the. blocks to the frame and, for the purpose ofillustration, I have shown a channel-shaped strip which is attached to the inner surface of the flange 27, forming a rectangular aperture-in which the blocks 24 are supported and retained by their own resiliency.

The members 19, which support the weight of the guard or screen on the bottom of the shell, are similar in construction to the block 24 and, as shown more clearly in Figure 3, comprise resilient members 25 made of rub ber 01' other suitable material. The mem-. bers 25 are retained on the inner, lower edge of the frame 12 b means ofclips 26 which i are bolted, welde brazed or otherwise attached to the inner surface of the flange 27 to firmly retain the member 25. thereon. The members 25 project beyond the flange 27 and are provided with a contour substantially similar to that of the inner portion of the radi: ator shell to thereby firmly engage the shell and support the weight of the guard. The, .clips 26 may be provided with extending ortions 28 at the top, for the purpose of racing and strengthening the projecting portions of the supporting members 25. i

When my guard isto be attached to an automobile radiator the 'flangesIS of the the slit-l.

lithe screen. The" anchor nuts 14: are first positioned under the inner edge of the radiator shell 8, as shown in Figure 4, in a position thereon substantially opposite to the screws and the enmembers 1.6 assoc ted with the ,The guard or scree u mounted against" arena fof the rad the blocks engaging the Front surtace oi nd the projections on the memorrs rd fronrcontacting directly with i 'ievinc; dnwnwar-illy e "The screws 15 are then d lnto ihenuts 14 and the screen is "htly against the rad ator shell with tin;- i v 2?" of the frame epaced from the surf. of the shell througheut. its entire pe-.

riph..- J D the, blocks Qlfii'lfi members 53f], w ed a steeen ll in its. t e i a s is ma e from war" a, if 11 d f 1 a uble-cr mped w re well known in it is to be'understaod,however, that fre expanded metal may be substituted therefor in;whic h case the screen engaging member 16is shaped toconformto the shape of the mesh, .of the substituted screen,

It will thusbeseen that I have provided anchoring means for a guard, or screen g'rille. of a radiator which retains it in firm, fixed relation to its shell-without requiring the illing of the shell or causing the distortion of its edges or the marring of-its-surface. The anchoring means is universal in application being capable of engaging the inneredge of any radiator shellindependently ofthe radiator. It is to be understood that the anchoring means is not limited to guards or screen grilles but may be employed for other purposes such, for example as attaching a winter-front to the radiator shell.

preferrml form, as-

ri er type of screen, such as that made shell with ncfloli'el' por'tioutliereoi to pre- While I'have described and illustrated but a single embodiment ofmy invention it will be apparent to anyone skilled in the art that many changes, omissions, additions and departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the accompanying registering with said nut and drawing the member into engagement with said shell.

2. A guard for a radiator comprising a screen which is provided with supporting means includingan anchor nut and screw for clamping the guard onthe radiator shell independent of the radiator core and projecting members which regist er with the shell for substitutions may be made therein without inne dge the radiator shell, a screen enmember having an aperture therein rcw extending through said aperture ng said nut for drawing said screen i. 0 firm engagement with said shell.

4.. An anchor means for supporting a screen on an automobile radiator shell comprising a nut having a flange for engaging the inner edge of the radiator shell, a screen engaging member having an aperture therein, a screw extending through said aperture and engaging said nut for drawing the screen into firm engageni zit with said shell and projecting members on the bottom of said screen and resting on said shell for supporting the weight of the screen against downward movement.

5. Anchor means for supporting a screen on an automobile radiator shell comprising a nut having a flange for engaging the inner edge of the radiator shell, a screen engaging member comprising a body portion extending between the wires of a screen and provided with inwardly presented channels for engagin the wires of said screen and a screw extending through said body portion and engaging said nut for drawing said screen into firm engagement with said shell.

6. An anchor means for supporting a screen on an automobile radiator shell comprising a nut having a flange for engaging the inner edge or the radiator shell, 9. screen engaging member comprising a body portion extending between the wires of a screen and provided with inwardly presented channels for engaging the wires of said screen, a screw extending through said body portion and engaging said nut for drawing said screen into rm engagement with said shell and project- 'ing members on the bottom of said screen resting on said shell for supporting the weight of the screen against downward movement.

7. A guard for an automobile radiator comprising a. screen having a frame thereabout of the size and shape conforming to that of the radiator shell, anchoring means therefor comprising a plurality of nuts having proiections for engaging the edge of the inner portion of the shell, a plurality of screen engaging members, screws extending through said members and engaging said nuts and a plurality of projecting members on the bottom of said frame resting on said shell for supporting the weight of said guard.

8. A guard for an automobile radiator comprising a screen having a frame thereabout of the size and shape conforming to that of the radiator shell, anchoring means therefor comprising a plurality of nuts having projections for engaging the edge of the inner portion of the shell, a plurality of screen engaging members each comprising a body portion'extending through a mesh of the screen and provided with inwardly presented channels for engaging the-wires adjacent thereto, and screws extending through said members and engaging said nuts for retain- 111g said guard 1n firm engagement with the shell.

9. A guard for an automobile radiator comprising a screen having a frame thereabout of the size and shape conforming to that of the radiator shell, anchoring means therefor comprising a plurality of nuts having projections for engaging the edge of the inner portion of the shell, a plurality of screen engaging members each comprising a body portion extending through a mesh in the screen and provided with inwardly presented channels on two of its opposite sides for engaging two of the wires forming the mesh,

screws extending through said members and engaging said nuts and projecting means associated with the bottom of the frame and resting on the inturned portion of said shell for supporting the weight of said guard.

10. Anchoring means for supporting a member on an automobile radiator shell which comprises a nut having a flange for engaging the inner edge of the shell, a screw extending through said member for register ing with said nut and for drawing the member into engagement with shell and means on the bottom 01 said members associated with said shell and supporting the member against outward and-downward movement.

l1. Anchoring means for supporting a. member 7 on an automobile radiator shell which comprises a plurality of nuts having flanges for engaging the inner edges of the shell, a plurality of screws extending through said member for registering with said nuts for drawing the member into engagement with said shell and a plurality of projections on said member for engaging the shell and for supporting the member against down ward movement.

12. Anchoring means for supporting a member on an automobile radiator shell which includes a. plurality of nuts'having flanges for engaging the inner edges of the shell, a plurality of screws extending through said member for registering with said nuts for drawing the members into engagement with'said shell.

13. Anchoring means for supporting a member on an automobile radiator shell which comprises a plurality of nuts having flanges for engaging the inner edges of the shell, a plurality of screws extending through said member for registering with said nuts for drawing the member into engagement with said shell and a non-marring material provided on the inner periphery of said member.

14. Anchoring means for supportin a member on an automobile radiator s ell which comprises a plurality of nuts having flanges for engaging the inner edges of the shell, a plurality of screws extending through said member for registering with said nuts for drawing the member into engagement with said shell'and a n0n-marring material provided on the inner periphe of said member and extending inwardly o the metal edge thereof toengage said shell in such manner as to support the weight of said member.

GEORGE F. HUGHES. 

